Yoke vs. yolk

Yoke and yolk aren’t exactly homophones, but they are sometimes confused due to their closeness in sound. Yolk (which can be a count noun or a mass noun) is the yellow portion of an egg. A yoke is the crossbar that encircles the necks of a pair of oxen or other draft animals. It’s usually metaphorical, often as part of the phrases throw off the yoke and under the yoke.

Examples

Eager to throw off the yoke of government ownership, the U.K.’s two partially state-owned banks have been quietly moving to stir investor interest in U.K government holdings of their stocks. [Wall Street Journal]